Wondering 'What If'
by the-insufferable-know-it-all
Summary: HarryGinny ONESHOT. Harry is sitting by the lake with Ginny when several 'What Ifs' cross his mind. He decides to take a risk, because after all, wondering 'What If' is the worst thing there is.


**Wondering 'What If'**

_By the-insufferable-know-it-all_

**Author's note:** I hate this story. A lot. I wrote it out of sheer boredom in school one day, and needless to say it shows that it was written in the middle of class. I figured I'd post it anyways. I was inspired by a line in the song 'Mistakes We Knew We Were Making' by Straylight Run. The line is 'Still I'm convinced that wondering 'What If' is the Worst thing there is'. Then, this story came into my mind, and I figured I had nothing better to do than write it. So I did, and it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Oh well.

- - -

They were sitting on the edge of the lake, not talking yet perfectly contented. Simply enjoying each other's presence. The giant squid splashed around, while the leaves blew in the cool October wind.

He glanced over at her. Her striking appearance could easily be mistaken for beautiful. There was something about her that made you look twice. But she looked too much like Ron to be beautiful. Her bright hair clashed against her pale skin. Her ears were too big for her face, and her nose was a little too long. But Harry felt that these imperfections made her… well, they made her _her_. He didn't care that she wasn't what others would call beautiful, because he loved her the way she was.

Was it really love, though? He had only gotten to really know her in the past few months as something other than his best friends little sister. It was this summer that he noticed her as her own person, really. He was grieving over Sirius, and didn't want to talk to Ron and Hermione about it. She had provided him the support he needed. There was just something easier about talking to someone that you don't know as well as your best friends. He would talk, she would listen. She was wise; she said all the right things without sounding like she pitied him. She helped him realize that he wasn't to blame. After she assisted him in stopping being moody and brooding, he realized what a truly wonderful, funny, sarcastic, genuinely nice person she was.

And ever since then he felt incomplete without her, like he needed her. He was dependent on her.

He wondered if she felt the same way. She's been broken up with Dean for about a month now, but was that enough time for her to get over him?

What if he just told her how he felt, right here? Would she be a little scared, or would she say she liked him also?

What if she didn't like him back, and was too embarrassed to be around him ever again?

What if she actually did like him?

Harry sighed. He was about to take a huge risk, but if he didn't do it now, while he had the courage, he feared he'd never tell her how he felt. He needed to know the answer to his 'what ifs'.

"Ginny, I-"

- - -

She thought that she was over him, she really did. But then they go and become friends this summer, and she realizes that she was nowhere near over him.

Over the past year she had tried to distract herself from him. Michael worked for a while, but then he ran off with Cho. Then she tried Dean, and he worked during the summer, until her and Harry became close. She then realized that her feelings were deep – much deeper than she thought they were – and she knew she had to break it off with Dean, it just wasn't fair.

Which took her to where she was now. Sitting by the lake, by him, and knowing that they'd never be more than friends.

But did she really know that? What if he wanted more, but she just convinced herself that he'd never like her that way? For they were certainly close; closer than she'd ever thought would happen. And he seemed to genuinely enjoy her company.

What if he didn't like her, though? And she told him how he felt, and he blushed and said he didn't feel the same?

Or even worse, what if he thought she was joking and started laughing.

Well, she'd never know unless she told him. And whatever the result, it has to be better than this feeling of not knowing at all. Wondering 'what if', and not doing anything about it may just possibly be the worst thing out there.

She figured she'd do it now, before she fully realized what she was about to do. She took a deep breath and began.

"Harry, I just-"

- - -

"Ginny, I-"

"Harry, I just-"

They both laughed nervously.

"You start."

"No, you."

"Alright, fine." Harry began. "Well, this is kind of hard to put into words, so bear with me. I just- well, ever since this summer, you've helped me. A lot. And, erm, the fact that you listen means a lot to me. And I just wanted to tell you that – I thought you should know – I mean, I - I don't think I'd have made it this far without you."

He paused, waiting for a reaction of some sort. When her face remained blank, he continued.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is er – I guess I'm saying that I think I love you."

Her face remained stoic; she didn't dare to believe what he just said. She didn't respond. He must have mistaken her silence as a sign that she didn't feel the same.

"Of course, you don't have to feel the same. It's alright, I understand. Well, I'll be going now." He rushed these words while blushing, then stood up to make a quick departure.

He was halfway back to the castle before Ginny realized what he had just said.

She took off after him. She called his name, and he turned around.

"Harry, you're incredibly daft if you thought for a second I don't like you too."

Then she kissed him.

And they were both terribly happy that they put their 'What Ifs' to rest.


End file.
